Second Chances: Slaying A Paper Dragon
by jtbwriter
Summary: A series of “accidents” plagues the local “Knights of the Round Table” show, run by Rick Simon’s soninlaw, Ian Whitecloud. When the franchise owner enlists Rick and A.J. to track down the cause, it starts a dangerous chain of events. Thanks to Beth T.
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances: Slaying A Paper Dragon

A series of "accidents" plagues the local "Knights of the Round Table" show, which is being run by Rick Simon's son-in-law, Ian Whitecloud. When the owner of the franchise enlists Rick and A.J. to help track down the cause, it starts a deadly chain of events that may cost one of the Simons their life.

(This is a work of fiction. No money is being made on it, and the characters from Simon and Simon and Six Million Dollar Man are owned by Universal Studios and are only being borrowed for a little while. .)

"All right, Milords, Miladies, Honored Guests! His Royal Majesty greets you and welcomes you to The Knights Of the Round Table!"

The feasting guests paused, wiping their mouths and cheering gustily, as servants bustled between the tables. A stream of champion knights paraded around the arena, as the Duke of Ages announced their names and deeds.

"Sir Artemus of Shershire, the Grey Knight, defender of the crown at Glasgow!"

"Sir Persival the Brave, the White Knight, honor is his name!"

"Sir Ian the Just, the Blue Knight, Right is his might!"

"Sir Peter the Strong, the Black Knight, Champion of the Lists!"

As the roll call finished, seven knights and squires stood at the ready, then two by two they competed in jousts, with the Black Knight facing the victor of the other six.

"Come on, Sir Persival…you can defeat him!" "Sir Artemus, come on, you can do it!"

Calls and cheers rang out as the last two knights came at each other, with clanging shields and racing horses. As they met in the middle of the arena, each one's staff splintered, then a loud laugh was heard as the shafts veered towards the crowd. Suddenly there was a scream. "Oh my God…it got the Black Squire!"

Quickly the other attendants ran into the field of competition, and the knights immediately made way for the stretcher bearers, who picked up a young man who was bleeding from his arm. They raced for the exits as the crowd cheered.

At once the King held up his hands.

"No more fighting, I declare this joust over, in the name of celebration!"

A startled look from the three knights met his gaze, then each got down in obstenance to him as he raised a toast. As a low murmur rose from the audience, the King spoke.

"To the champions of the Round Table….may we meet again in the spirit of honor! Now greet each of our Knights!"

Hurriedly the champions mounted their horses, then circled the ring to the cheers of the crowd. As the lights came on, an unseen voice spoke. "Thank you for being our guests here at the "Knights of the Round Table! Please be sure to take all your belongings with you and exit to the gift shop!" Led by Sir Ian, the "Knights" rode into the tunnel leading to the stables, then got off their mounts and led each one to his stall. As he came back out, Sir Ian shed his persona and became Ian Whitecloud. Stopping to check on the young man being taken to an ambulance, Ian saw the other knights gathering, and went to join them.

"Hey, what happened to Bobby? Did anyone see where he was when he was hit? Have they taken him to the hospital?" Each of the young men, now in the process of shedding their makeup and costumes, stopped what they were doing and questioned the senior "knight".

"Slow down, guys..I'll tell you what I know. Somehow Bobby was on the other side of the weaponry, but he was supposed to be in the corner tending to the Black Knight. Now, " Ian stopped, holding up his hand at the agitated men facing him.

"The doctor says he's going to be all right, but they're taking him for an X-Ray just in case. Bobby's going to be out for a few days, though. Thank God for his reflexes …." Ian paused, then managed a grin.

"All right, …. Bobby's going to be at Phoenix General…so after the next show we can go see him."

As the others left, a familiar presence wandered into the backstage area, and upon spotting him, Ian went to meet him.

"Mr. Peterson….thanks for coming! I thought you were attending the show tomorrow!" he said, enthusiastically shaking the older man's hand.

"Good thing I did….I'm going to have to get a report on how that staff got broken and why that young man was in the wrong place." Clyde Peterson replied, putting an arm on Ian's shoulder. "Now I know what you meant by "accidents"… I think we'd better bring in your special investigators, if you know what I mean." he added.

A relieved smile covered the young trainers face.

"I do, sir….I'll call my father-in-law and his brother..they'll figure out what's going on!" Ian reassured him. As he parted ways to go to the hospital, he stopped at his office, and grabbing a phone, dialed a number from memory.

"Dad? It's Ian…listen, I need your help."


	2. Chapter 2

"Don't tell me, let me guess.." Rick teased, looking at his wife expectantly. Laurie had interrupted his getting ready to go out the door with a "just come and look."

"Go on Jacky…show Daddy!" she encouraged the wagging little dog. At once Jack got up on his hind legs and did a twirl, then obeyed Laurie as she said, "Time for bed, Jacky!" Immediately he lay down and closed his eyes, then sat up as she cried, "Good boy!"

"Sweetheart, how did you do that?" Rick said, astonished. Mike and Rex had both done tricks, but most of them were taught by Rick to surprise Laurie, not vice versa.

"I found your training book when I was cleaning up, and I wanted to try it out." She smiled. Immediately he reached out and hugged her.

"Thank you, darlin', that's a nice surprise! Now I'll be at Ian's office with A.J., so if anything comes up, you call me there, okay?"

"More then okay, love." She murmured with a kiss, then smoothed his hair and handed him a thermos of coffee. "This is for the road, it's still a little cool out."

"Thank you, Laurie…..now Jack, take care of your Mom." Rick told the little black dog, who promptly jumped in between the two of them and licked their faces.

"Silly dog, I love you too!" Laurie said, giving him a treat, then added, looking at Rick, "that goes for you as well!"

"I know." He chuckled, dropping a kiss on her cheek, then going out the door. "You be good, darlin'! I'll call when we're on our way home."

"All right, be careful." She replied, watching as he climbed into his truck then waved as he pulled out of the drive and headed north. Stopping to water the plants in the front of the house, Laurie was just putting the garden hose away when the phone rang, and Jack tore back into the living room to bark at the loud noise.

"Silly Jacky… it's just the phone!" Laurie giggled, then picked up the receiver.

"Simon residence."

"Tell your husband to stay away from the Knights show, or they'll lose more then a squire, they'll bury a knight."

Furious, Laurie replied, "Who is this? What do you know about the Knights show?"

There was a laugh, then the same raspy voice warned, "Enough to tell you you'll be short a son-in-law…maybe a daughter….tell the Simons to stay away." Click.

"Hello!" Laurie yelled, then hung up, fear replacing her anger. At once she took a deep breath, then dialed A.J..

"Hey, sis…is Rick on the way?" he greeted her, and she smiled, realizing he had identification of caller service.

"Yes…but A.J….I just got a call." She began.

As Rick drove into his brother's complex almost an hour later, he was fussing over the flat tire he'd had to stop and fix. "Figures, I get to go to the "Knights" show covered with grease." He grumbled, looking at his black-streaked shirt. As he turned onto A.J.'s street, he saw several cars in front of his condo, one of them a familiar cruiser. Puzzled, he slowed down to turn into the driveway in time to see a relieved Chief Ron Johnson climb out of his police car and wave for him to park. An uneasy feeling started in the pit of his stomach.

"Hey, Ron…what's up?", he started, then was surprised by the younger man giving him a hug. "Thank God you're all right, but why didn't you answer your transmitter!"

"Hello to you too, pal, but…I didn't hear…"he started, then looked down at his watch to see the crystal cracked and the stem missing. "Oh, oh.."

"Oh, oh, is right!" A.J. came tearing out of his house, then stopped, red-faced to stare at his brother. "Where were you? We've been worried sick, and Laurie's ready to jump in her jeep and race over here!"

"I had a flat tire, okay, over by the turnoff. If it hadn't been for all the slow traffic, I'd have been off the road for sure." He complained. Immediately the expressions on the two men changed, and A.J.'s red face went pale. "I'm sorry, Rick….we didn't know what to think…" he gulped, then embraced him. His sister-in-law Linda chose that moment to come outside, then spotting Rick, raced back in.

"It's okay, little brother….but…what's happened…is Laurie all right?" he immediately asked, fearing Linda's reaction.

"She's fine, scared but fine. That's why Linny went back in…Sis got a phone call after you left, warning you to stay away from the Knight's show, or they'd lose more then a squire, you'd lose Ian!" he explained. Rick flushed with anger. "How'd someone find out about this? Ian just called me this morning!"

"We don't know, Rick, but when Laurie demanded to know who was calling, and what did they know about the show, the caller laughed then warned that you could lose your son-in-law, or daughter. Then the man hung up." Ron explained.

"Oh, the stinking….no wonder you guys were freaking out." Rick growled. "Let me call Laurie, then we'll go over and see what's going on there!"

Going into the house with A.J. and the others, Rick greeted Linda, then took the phone she held out.

"Laurie, are you okay?"

"Yes Rick…darling. I'm fine. But are you alright? Sis said you had a flat." Laurie asked, her voice warm with relief.

"Yes, sweetheart..just mad….I got grease on me too! I'm sorry you were by yourself when that animal called. A.J. and I will go take care of Ian ….don't you worry." Rick heard his wife sigh.

"I won't, love….I'm just sorry you got grease on you…. Maybe Linny can clean your shirt for you?"

"No time for that, darlin'….I'll call you when we talk to Ian, okay?" Rick grinned as Laurie replied sweetly "Okay, darling. You guys be careful, promise?"

"I promise." He murmured as his brother grabbed his jacket and indicated Ron was going to follow them. "Got to go, Laurie. I love you."

"I love you more." She answered, then said goodbye. As he handed the phone back to his sister-in-law, she smiled. "Thanks, Rick. She was very upset when she called, then when you didn't answer….you made her feel better."

"Well, I'm glad you got a hold of her, honey…now you stay put and we'll call both of you when we know something." Rick assured her, going ahead of A.J. as he lingered behind to kiss Linda's cheek. As they climbed into Rick's truck, A.J. held out something to his brother. "Here, Rick….It was supposed to be a surprise for Easter…"

The older Simon stared at A.J.'s hand, which held a watch with Rick, Laurie, Linda and A.J.'s pictures on the dial. "How….where did you get that, little brother?"

"Remember the pics we had taken for your anniversary? This was one of them, and when you had to have your watchband replaced last month, Linny got the idea you should have another watch. Rudy had it programmed and everything." A.J. explained.

"A.J.,,you are a lifesaver…thanks!" Rick hugged his brother, then started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.

Within the next 20 minutes the Simons and the Chief of Police pulled into the new Knights Arena and parked in the reserved area. At once a security guard came forward, asking for identification, then directed them to a secured door that opened into the administration area.

"Simon….there you are!" An older man, his bearing still straight and tall, came striding down the hallway. Both Rick and A.J. were glad to see Clyde Peterson, the owner of the "Knights" approach them, his hand outstretched.

"Mr. Peterson…" Rick and A.J. shook his hand, then introduced Ron. Peterson fixed him with a puzzled eye. "Seems to me I've seen you before, Chief….oh, yeah, for Ian and his wife's anniversary."

"You have a good memory, sir. I'm just afraid this is more then a few "accidents"." The chief remarked. "Rick's wife received a disturbing phone call right after he left to meet you this morning." As he explained the threats, Rick saw a fire burning in the owner's eyes.

"Damn…I'm sorry, Rick…your wife shouldn't have to be frightened like that….I'm wondering if we shouldn't just turn this over to you, Chief. I don't want anything to happen to Ian or his family."

"Now, Mr. Peterson….it might just be words…A.J. and I won't be bluffed off finding out what's happening here." Rick hastened to tell him.

"That's right, sir. We will give anything we find out about what's going on to Ron." A.J. echoed his brother, seeing the worry in Peterson's face.

Ron decided to take control of the situation. "Right now, Mr. Peterson, we need to know what incidents have happened so far, and who would have known that you were calling in Rick and A.J. to investigate."

"Just Ian and I…well, my secretary did put through the call, and I met with Ian backstage, so someone could have overheard our talking…" the owner said, trying to remember.

Just then loud voices were heard, and Rick immediately tensed as a hard voice yelled, "Whitecloud, you couldn't ride your way out of a paper bag! Now hand over that costume or …."


	3. Chapter 3

Instantly Rick and A.J. bolted toward the sound of the commotion, and came upon a practice area filled with yelling men, two startled women, and Ian, red faced but silent. Across from him was a tall, beefy man half in costume, fist drawn back.

"Hold it right there!" Rick bellowed, silencing the crowd. Behind him Peterson said, quietly "Atta boy…."

Striding into the middle of a dozen riders and costume extras, Rick stopped between the two "knights", then faced the large man. "What do you think you're doing, threatening to attack a co-worker…you can be arrested you know!"

"Uh, who are you…this is a private fight!" the rider snarled back, then froze as the Knights owner barked, "Not on my time or property, it isn't, Marshall!"

"Mr. Peterson, Marsh here demanded Ian quit because he's a jinx!" one of the squires declared, stepping forward. At once A.J. turned to him. "And you are?"

I'm Jeffrey Gonzales, I'm a squire to the Scarlet Knight." The young, blond-haired actor said, uneasily.

"Well, there's no such thing as a jinx, but there are those who'll do anything to get ahead." Rick growled. "Thank you for telling us what started this.."

"Mr. Peterson, I didn't mean anything, but since Whitehorse joined the company…' Marshall started, only for Peterson to shake his head.

"James Marshall, you might be a great rider, but you're a lousy employee. You've been jealous of Ian since he arrived. Get your stuff and get out. We'll mail you your severance pay."

As Marshall's jaw dropped, the owner beckoned for a security guard and had the rider escorted to the locker room. Once the man was gone, Rick got the other performers attention.

"Okay, listen up. I want to hear from each of you about these "accidents"…we only have a few hours before show time, so half of you line up and speak with A.J. here, and the other half get me."

"And what if we don't want to "talk about " it?" a red-headed man declared grumpily from the back of the audience?"

"Then you can talk to me." Ron spoke up, drawing a muffled gasp from the others watching as he showed his badge. "Chief of Police Johnson, Phoenix PD. Now…is there a problem?"

After the silence, one by one the performers met with the Simons, as Chief Johnson toured the facilities with Clyde Peterson.

With only one exception, Rick found that both male and female performers had nothing bad to say about Ian, were spooked totally about the "hauntings", as one squire put it, and wanted "it" to stop.

"What do you mean, Sandy, what's "it"?, A.J. asked, curiously, after the third lady-in-waiting popped her gum and mentioned, "it".

"Mr. Simon, you've got to be kidding me! Every theatre or stage has an "it"! It's like a ghost or dead person who's haunting until they can rest!" the blond-haired girl said. She shook her head when A.J. pressed her, "Have you seen a ghost around here?"

"No…but with the first accident, we all heard it.. someone laughed, and then Arty just missed getting impaled by someone's sword. It was dropped from the catwalks, but no one was there when they shone the lights up there. Plus the gate was locked, so no one could have gotten into the flies."

"So what was the second accident?" Rick asked one of the knights, a tall, lean college student named Jacques.

"Someone loosened the net that protects the audience during the jousts and sword fights, and it just missed me during practice. When it crashed down, I heard a man laughing, then footsteps. But when security looked, there was no one in the prop area where they launch the net from."

The final rider was the exception to the "happy brotherhood", a sullen-faced red-head named Peter Jason, who was the Black Knight. He reluctantly described the incident of the previous night, including how the shaft of his weapon suddenly splintered and injured his squire.

"I told Whitehorse those things were cheap, but no….he wouldn't listen. I thought he was going to make things better for us when he transferred…."

Rick had had enough. "Listen you, Ian has done his best to get you the best equipment, and horses…if he didn't switch weapons I'm sure he had a good reason. Now…anything else?"

Chastened, Peter shook his head, then hurried out of the room.

At the end of two hours, the brothers dismissed the performers and borrowed Ian's office to compare notes.

"Well, I had one major league sulker, but otherwise, everyone loves Ian!" Rick said, finishing his thermos of coffee. A.J. nodded. "Other then Marshall and that character Peter, everyone's convinced that there's a ghost of some kind."

Just then there was a knock on the door, and a sheepish Ian came in. "Hey Dad, A.J…..can you stay for the matinee? I'm thinking if there was this kind of reaction to you guys, maybe we'll be accident-free."

"Of course, son. Besides, I love the food here, almost as good as my Bird's" Rick grinned, getting a smile from his son-in-law in return.

Once Clyde Peterson got wind of the brothers staying for the show, he had them sit in a box in Ian's territory. As the arena filled up, Rick saw the enthusiasm in the crowds faces, then had to laugh at the face A.J. made at the "Dragon's Soup" they were given as a starter. Quickly the show progressed, and with Ron manning the back stage area, the competition went off without a hitch. As they joined Ron and Ian after the arena emptied

A.J. pretended to stagger. "I don't know if I can ever eat again, that was so good, other then that soup. And the jousts…"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, A.J." Ian sighed. "It's hard to stay on top of things with everyone looking over their shoulders"

"Well, with the way these performers were going around, saying that someone might die during the next show…" Rick began, then heard a whooshing noise.

Looking up, he saw a backdrop coming at him, and instinctively he ducked ….


	4. Chapter 4

One moment Rick watched the weighted drop coming at him, the next he was on the floor, someone on top of him.

"Rick, Ian?" A voice called out, and he gasped, "I'm okay, what the…:?" He glanced up and saw it was his son-in-law slowly getting up.

"Dad?" Ian said shakily. Rick moved his arms and legs gingerly, then nodded. "I'm okay..you?"

"Just winded….let me help you up." At once A.J. and Ron came forward, and the three men got Rick to his feet. Wincing from a scraped elbow, he caught sight of a small gathering of stagehands, then focused on Ian.

"Son….thanks. You spared me a real headache there. What caused that to come down?" he indicated the pile of material on the floor next to them. Clyde Peterson's voice interrupted them as he pushed through the onlookers. "I heard a yell, what…." He paused in mid-question, then he went pale seeing the fallen drop. "Oh, no…"

"It's okay, Mr. Peterson…no one's hurt…but could you get the vendor book? I need to order another one of these, quick!" Ian reassured him.

"I'll be right back, Ian…" The older man answered, then turned on his heel and strode off the stage. Waiting until he was out of sight, Ian shook his head.

"I don't know, Dad, what brought that down…but it could have killed you, look.." Ian lifted the material to reveal an iron bar holding the length of scenery. A.J. swore angrily, then embraced his brother.

"Thank God Ian moves faster then me…I didn't even hear it coming down."

"I don't know how I did that…" Ian replied, his color still pale. "I saw you looking up, then I realized it was the archery drop…. Wait a minute…" Quickly the young man strode over to the ropes attached to the hanging, then barked, "Grayson!"

One of those watching hurried over, then almost immediately backed away. "No way, Ian…I fastened those ropes myself when we changed drops last week! It shouldn't look like that…."

"What do you mean?" Rick followed his son-in-law, then saw what they were focused on.

"It's been frayed, no wonder…" Rick said, after a moment. A.J. shook his head. "That's no accident, Rick. That was meant to hurt you."

"And that means there's no ghost, because ghosts don't leave blood." Ron said suddenly, pointing at a red smear on the rope. Grabbing a utility knife from his pocket, the chief of police cut the section of rope that was damaged and put it into a plastic bag.

"Good eyes, Ron. There should also be fingerprints with that." A.J. said, relieved.

"I'm taking this right to the lab, but I want you three to go home right now, and stay put!" Ron ordered. Rick started to open his mouth, but a beeping from his watch let him know someone was trying to reach him. Looking at the frequency, he let out a deep breath.

"Sweetheart, hi. We're just leaving for A.J.'s …….."

"Rick, are you alright? Did something just happen?" Laurie's voice floated out of the speaker.

Shocked, Rick took a breath, then answered, "Uh, yes, darlin'. There was a little mishap….but we're okay. Ian and A.J. and I are heading for the condo, so go ahead and get dinner started."

"Okay, love…drive careful, I love you." She replied, and Rick then whispered, "I love you too. Be home in a bit."

Signing off, he paused at the smirk on Ron's face. "What…can't a man tell his wife he loves her?"

"Yeah, but you two make an art of it!" the chief retorted, tongue in cheek.

The burst of laughter from the others lessened the tension in the area, and Rick and A.J. waited for Ian to go over the vendor book with the owner, then followed him to his car. Caravanning to A.J.'s, the brothers were glad to get away from the noise of the show.

"Never thought I'd complain about the Knights being so noisy." A.J. remarked as they pulled into the driveway.

"Me neither, my ears are still hurting!" Rick agreed, then smiled as the front door opened and their wives stood in the doorway.

"Best part of coming home." Rick thought as he and A.J. climbed out of his truck, then waited for Ian to park. From behind Linda and Laurie, a small voice yelled, "Daddy!"

Grinning, Rick and A.J. made way for Ian to come up the walk first so he could be greeted by Robin, Petey and Katey. As the little family went inside, Rick put an arm around Laurie. "Hey, sweetheart, when did Robin and the kids get here?"

"Rob brought them over, he didn't like that threat mentioning Robin, so he picked them up and brought them over. He stayed until you called and said you were on your way." She explained, then pulled him into the hallway and embraced him. "Rick…thank God you're all right."

"Darlin'….of course I am…now tell me, did you have a premonition?" Rick was relieved when she shook her head.

"No, darling….just a cold feeling about an hour ago. I was talking to Robin, then suddenly it was like the beginning of the frights. I was afraid she was going to have a vision, but she didn't feel anything."

"Good." Rick kissed her, then led her into the guest bedroom and sat down with her.

"Laurie, right before you called…I nearly got hit with a drop." At his wife's gasp, he hastened to add, "Ian pushed me out of the way, so it missed. I'm all right, sweetheart. I was more worried about the fact that someone knew Ian called us."

"But Rick, who could it have been…and why did they try to kill you with Ron right there? Was there a laughing noise like with the other accidents?" Laurie asked, clinging to his hand.

"No, there wasn't….bless, you Laurie." He brought her hand to his lips, then smiled at her puzzlement. "That's the first, well, the second break we've had. Unlike every time before….I didn't hear anything. A.J.!" he called, standing up, then linking arms with Laurie, left the room and met up with his brother in the kitchen.

"What is it?" A.J. started, then Rick told him of Laurie's question.

"Good work, Sis!" he smiled, then dropped a kiss on her cheek as Linda remarked, "Maybe this "ghost" or whatever was afraid you guys picked up a clue or something, and reacted?"

"Well, if he or she did…this might be the mistake we needed." Rick assured her. "Honey, can you hold dinner for a few more minutes?…I'm going to call Ron, see if he's run any tests yet on the rope that came loose off the drop. I'll have Ian come in when he's free."

A.J. and Rick disappeared to A.J.'s home office, where they tried to reach their friend.  
Leaving a message when Ron didn't answer his phone, Rick focused on his son-in-law when he came in.

"Son, I know this is a hard question to ask, but…is there any way Clyde Peterson could be involved with these incidents?" Seeing Ian's shocked reaction, A.J. hastened to add, "We know he'd never hurt anyone on purpose, son…but still.."

"No, A.J., Dad….there's no way Mr. Peterson would have anything to do with what's going on!" Ian argued stubbornly. "He loves this show…he wouldn't do anything to risk any of us, or the franchise. Why he's the one who saved Jerry when the net fell."

"I know, Ian." Rick put an arm on his shoulders. "I like Clyde. We just have to look at all possibilities. Now, has he mentioned any calls or notes, maybe that someone wants to extort money from him or make him close the show?"

"No, Dad…just that he was surprised that the show was doing so well, since the LA show is costing us a lot …..that's why he wanted me to come here…to scope out what works and what doesn't." Ian wearily rubbed his face like a sleepy child.

"Well, we'll talk later, son…why don't you get ready for dinner, and we'll talk to Ron in a while. Rick suggested. He was rewarded with an embarrassed yawn from his son-in-law. "Sorry, Dad…I didn't mean to jump down your throat…..I know how it looks, but I just can't see Mr. Peterson doing something like this."

At that moment the phone in A.J.'s office rang, and A.J. answered it. "Simon residence."

After a moment, he let out a started exclamation. "You're kidding?"


	5. Chapter 5

"What?" Rick mouthed, and immediately A.J. handed him the phone. "It's Ron."

"Hey, Ron."

"Rick, we I'd the blood and DNA on the piece of rope…..it's one of the knights."

Rick let out a deep breath. "That's great…who is it?"

"Peter Jason, the Black Knight… He showed up in our database as the victim of a custody abduction 15 years ago, otherwise he's clean. But that's not all…"

"What's not all?" Rick looked at A.J., who shrugged.

"Is Ian there? He should hear this." Ron asked, then Rick pressed the button so Ian could speak. "I'm here, Ron….."

"I sent some men to pick up Peter Jason, only he didn't come by himself. His father came with him. Clyde Peterson."

A look of shock came over Ian's face. "No….I don't believe it…I thought Mr. Peterson had no family." Rick put an arm on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, son. He was married 20 years ago, then when he was divorced his wife took his son Peter and disappeared. That's why we had Jason's DNA and blood type in our system, because of the parental abduction. Apparently the wife died and Peter Jason went back to his father a couple of years ago."

"That would explain why when I first went to work for him, he said he had no children…." Ian said quietly. "Did Peter say why he tried to kill Dad?"

"He hasn't talked yet, on the advice of Peterson. We're waiting for his lawyer to show up, but I thought you guys should be here, too." Ron replied, and Rick told him, "We'll leave right now, maybe he'll open up if Ian…"

"Sorry Rick, he says he won't cooperate if Ian's involved at all. I don't know what the problem is, but he's only agreed to you and A.J. being present." Ron's regretful tone let the Simon brothers know their friend's mixed feelings.

"I understand, Ron….but I still say there's no way Mr. Peterson would have tried to hurt anyone." Ian spoke up, disappointed.

"I hope so, Ian. In the meantime, you stay put and let Rick and A.J. handle this." The chief of police answered, and A.J. added, "We'll be there in about 15 minutes, Ron."

"Thanks guys, stop at the reception desk and I'll have your passes ready." Hanging up,

Rick looked at the other two men. "Something doesn't seem right here. Ian, has Peter ever said anything against Clyde, or the show?"

"Yeah, he's always complaining about how unrealistic it is, that real knights fought to the death, etc."

"Hmmm, maybe that's it…" Rick got up and going out to the kitchen, met up with his wife just as she was coming to get them. "Dinner's ready…uh, Rick?"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to put ours back in the oven, sweetheart, A.J. and I have to go to headquarters." He explained, dropping a kiss on her cheek and snatching up a roll."

"I thought that's why I heard Ron." Laurie sighed, then hugged Rick. "Don't worry, we'll keep a plate warm for you two."

"Thanks, Laurie." He smiled, then kissed her as A.J. tousled Robin and Melly's hair on his way to grab their jackets. "Mind your Mom, now. Ian, you and Robin go ahead with dinner."

"Okay" Ian smiled as Petey and Katie came running in, hands dripping. "Daddy, we were helping Ceci bathe Jojo..but he won't get back into the bathtub!"

"Coming!" Ian laughed as he took a wet hand in his. "I'll hold the fort down, guys."

"Thanks son!" Rick chuckled, releasing Laurie from his arms. "Be back, darlin'."

The brothers good mood lasted only until they reached police headquarters and met up with Ron Johnson, however. One look at his stern face and Rick knew something was up.

"Sorry, guys….Peterson and his son have decided not to talk, so we're going to have to charge them with attempted murder and assault. They've refused to see either of you, but maybe if they see you, Rick…" Ron's hopeful voice let Rick know his reluctance to charge the older man.

"Sure, pal….let's go."

Once they reached the booking area, a tall, broadly built man tried to block their way.

"Excuse me, Chief Johnson, but I told you my clients do not wish to see either of the Simons, so if you'd go ahead and release them…."

"Mr. Manning, your clients aren't going anywhere. I'm allowing Mr. Simon to see Mr. Peterson and Peter Jason before he presses charges. Now if they don't want to see Mr. Simon, we can go ahead and book them into jail…." Ron spoke firmly.

"Sir, you don't have enough evidence.." Manning began, and Rick opened his mouth, only for A.J. to step on his foot. "We do have enough, sir….now, it's your client's choice." Ron finished.

"Just a moment…." The lawyer mumbled, turning and going into the interrogation room. Without waiting Rick barreled in after him.

"What the…".. rumbled Clyde Peterson as he started up from his seat, then shame covered his face and he sat back down. Next to him a frowning Peter Jason swore.

"Mr. Peterson, the Chief says they have enough to charge both of you, and he insisted he's going to book you both. Now maybe if you speak with Simon here…" Manning spoke up.

Rick met Peterson's eyes, and slowly the older man nodded. "Okay."

Taking a seat, Rick waited a moment, then quietly said, "Ian doesn't believe you sabotaged your own show, and neither do I. You're covering for your son, aren't you?"

"No, I'm the one who did it….but no one was ever supposed to get hurt. Look, I'm sorry I scared you like that, but I would have missed you…" Peterson blustered. At once Peter slammed his hand on the table.

"Shut it, Father…I told you to be quiet about all this, they have nothing on me."

"Oh, but we do, Peter…your DNA is on a key piece of evidence, and since that's something family members would share, it's only natural for the police to narrow it down to one of you." Rick added. The young man scowled, then spoke up.

"Alright, I did it…too many years I've watched this make-believe mumbo-jumbo get all his attention. I thought if I shut things down, just until we got to know each other…then we .." he turned to his father, "could be a family again."

"No…Peter…stop. Simon, he doesn't know what he's saying!" Peterson pleaded. "Peter, I don't want to be alone again!" At once Rick opened the door and called "Ron?".

As the police chief came back in, the old man put his head on the table as Ron walked in.  
"You need to let Clyde go, Peter here's admitted it was him." Rick explained, feeling horrible for the Knights owner. Slowly the younger man got up, then the mask of bitterness disappeared as he softly said, "I'm sorry, Father…sorry you got mixed up in my problem. I just….got tired of having to share you."

"It's alright, son…." Clyde Peterson said, brokenly. Father and son embraced, then Peter straightened up and let himself be led away in handcuffs. As the door closed, Peterson spoke. "Leave, Rick…no..wait.. please tell Ian…no one was to be hurt.."

"Of course, Mr. Peterson…." Rick assured him. Leaving the man alone with his attorney, he walked out into the hallway and found A.J. waiting for him.

"I don't know what you said in there, Rick…. you did a good job." A.J. told him, seeing the upset look on his brother's face.

"I know, and Peterson….I'm sorry for him. But something's missing….."

"The only thing that's missing is my sympathy for him, considering his son almost killed 4 people." Ron came up to them, then smiled tiredly at Rick and A.J.. "Go on home guys, you need to tell Ian what happened. I imagine he's going to have a lot on his plate with what happens to the franchise."

"Oh, yeah…" Rick realized what Ron had said." Come on, A.J….Ron, call us later and let us know what's filed on Jason."

While Rick was getting his truck out of the parking garage, A.J. called the house and spoke with first Linda, then Ian.

"He's not really happy, Rick…but I told him he has to put his feelings aside to get things together for the other employees. I'm sure Peterson's management company must have some kind of plan for running things." A.J. reported, getting into the truck at the front of the building. As they started to pull out, Rick braked sharply as a sleek sports car came out of the private parking area and cut in front of them.

"What the….you moron!" He yelled, then A.J. shook his head. "If I didn't know better, that looked like Clyde Peterson, with some girl driving."

"Maybe he's got an assistant or something…" Rick offered, still steaming. He managed to calm down by the time he pulled up to A.J.'s.

A sudden rumbling noise broke both of them up, with Rick teasing his brother, "First one to the dinner table gets the first steak!"

"You're on!" A.J. shot back. Bolting out the passenger door as soon as Rick stopped, A.J. raced ahead and would have made it except for an eager "Daddy!" just inside the front door.

"All right Melly!" A.J. stopped and hugged his youngest, groaning as Rick made it past him and headed into the dining room.

Only to run smack into his wife. Catching her just before she fell, he held onto her as she gasped. "Rick!"

"Sweetheart, are you okay? I'm sorry…I didn't mean to knock you down like that!"

Seeing his frantic expression, she caught her breath, then kissed him. "No harm, no foul, darling. I missed you too, Rick. Linda and I just put dinner on the table."

From behind him A.J. smirked." Just when I thought I'd lost!"

"Nope, we both win!" Rick chuckled, taking his wife's arm and seating her, then taking a chair in front of a steaming plate.


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay, thanks, Ramon. You and Jacques are the best!"

Rick smiled at the upbeat tone of his son-in-law's voice. It had been a hard three days, but Clyde Peterson had put a management team in place at the "Knights" organization before resigning as CEO. For the most part the whole "sabotage" plot was ignored by the local press as an isolated incident, and sales for shows at the arena were normal.

Waiting until Ian was off the phone, Rick stuck his head in the door of his office. "Hey, son."

"Hi, Dad…you've got great timing. I'm just about to pick up Robin and the kids from the Heritage. They had a kids cooking class and I know they'll want to tell you about it."

"Sure, Ian…Though you may want to put paper towels down in the car, can't tell what those three are covered with!" Rick teased. "Why don't I follow you over, then I can save you the kids' mess!"

"You've got a deal, Dad!" Ian laughed. Locking up his office, Ian checked out with the security desk, then joined Rick at the entrance and went out to the parking area.

As he followed his son-in-law into the Heritage parking lot, he saw a familiar police cruiser, then realized it was Robbie's. Immediately he sped up, then parked next to it.

"Pop!"

Getting out of his truck, he saw his son running towards him.

"Son, what's going on?" he called, then out of the corner of his eye saw Ian pull up.

"It's Robin…she and the kids…someone's taken them!" Robbie gasped, stopping and catching his breath.

"Hold on, someone grabbed your sister and Petey and Katey?" Rick couldn't believe it, then Ian ran up to them. "What's going on, Robbie?"

"I got a beep on my transmitter, and when I put it on, I heard a woman's voice threatening Robin and the kids, then ordering them into a car. I radioed to Security then to the police, but by the time I got here…" Robbie turned as a stone-faced Ron came out of the parking garage, holding a purse and two little sweaters.

"No! Not my kids, not Robin!" Ian cried out, grabbing Rick's arm. Instantly Rick put an arm around his upset son-in-law.

"All right, Ian, calm down. We are going to find Robin and the kids. Robbie, are you still getting transmissions from your sister's watch?"

"Yes, Pop..but it's mostly static…here.." he turned up his transmitter, and a crackling noise was heard. Just then Ron came up to them, and quietly said, "I'm glad you guys got here. I had the surveillance tapes pulled, but so far it appears it was a woman in a minivan. She got in through the service entrance, and came out the same way, with Robin and the kids in front of her."

"Thanks, pal." Rick replied, then froze as a somewhat familiar voice spoke.

"Not a sound, Mrs. Whitecloud, or I'll take these brats from you and you and your husband will never see them again!" A whimpering noise from Katie sounded, then the woman added, "All right, all right, just keep them quiet. I'll call your husband once we get to the castle, then you can talk to him."

"Ron, call Oscar, we need to trace her signal!" Rick told him urgently. At once Ron pulled out his radio, then put it on the former OSI chief's frequency.

At the same time Rick called A.J., and his horrified brother zeroed in on Robin's frequency, hoping they could triangulate the signal.

As he ended the connection, his watch beeped again, and Rick found Laurie transmitting to him.

"Rick, have you seen Robin? I feel something's wrong with her….she's in danger!"

Surprised, Rick stepped away from the others, then said, "Laurie, listen to me, Robin and the children have been kidnapped. I need you to focus on her…"

"Rick…no..!" Laurie moaned, then seemed to catch herself. "I didn't have a premonition, just a feeling, and Robin's face came to me. It's ..just that she's frightened."

Rick wanted to swear, but controlled himself. "Sweetheart, it's okay. We're trying to locate her and the kids now. Just focus on her, darlin'. I'll call you as soon as we know something."

"All right, love. Don't worry…just find them…" she replied. Rick couldn't find his voice, so he murmured "Love you" then clicked off.

"Rick!" It was Ron. "This castle…could it have something to do with the Knights and Peterson's son?"

Rick frowned. "I don't know…It's hard to imagine Peterson would pull something like this…isn't his son still in custody? And who else would come after my family like this?"

"Peter Jason's at the county jail, awaiting a bail hearing. Use the phone at the security desk and get a hold of Clyde Peterson…" Ron started, then Ian turned towards them. "No, I'm going to call him…he owes me!" Rick watched him rush to the security desk, then grab a phone.

"You'd better stay with him, pal…I'll keep monitoring Robin's transmissions." Ron advised. Following his son-in-law, Rick caught up with Ian as he was dialing Peterson's home number. "If he doesn't answer, give me his address and I'll go over there." Rick whispered to Ian.

Fortunately Peterson answered on the second ring, and instantly Rick knew the older man had been waiting for a call.

"Mr. Peterson, this is Ian. …..my wife and children have been kidnapped, did you or Peter have anything to do with this, because God help you if you did!" Ian blurted.

There was an intake of breath on the other side, then a shaky voice. "No..Ian..I'm sorry, I had nothing to do with this….when did it happen?"

"About two hours ago now….and a woman did it. …" Ian began, then Rick saw his son approaching with a piece of paper.

"Hold on, Ian…don't let him go." Rick urged quietly, then turned to Robbie.

"This was left with the front desk, Pop. I opened it, but you'd better have Ian read it." The young sheriff told him, his face distraught. Immediately Rick opened it and handed it to Ian.

"God, no…" Ian read the contents, then told Peterson. "Someone left a note at the hotel, Robin and my children are being held in exchange for Peter….If the police don't release him, they're going to kill my family!"

"It's my fault…all my fault, son…Please forgive me!" Peterson cried. At that Rick took the phone from Ian. "Peterson, if you want forgiveness, you have to earn it. Who else could have done this, taken my daughter and grandchildren in exchange for your son? Do you have a daughter, a cousin, a fiancée, …"

"Wait a minute…." Peterson interrupted, then paused for a moment.

"Peter, God help me…Peter has a fiancée', she's in the cast, a girl named Sandy. She's very attached to him."

Suddenly Rick remembered something…"Did she help Peter with any of his "scare" tactics?" Ian looked at him, then let out an angry breath when Peterson replied, "She might have, I don't' know…I'd better not say anything more.." "Does she have access to a castle or building of some kind, where she would have taken them?" Rick pursued recklessly. There was silence, then Peterson's voice, very low.

"Yes…it's a miniature castle…we used to take the kids to play there, then I bought it when it came up for sale. It's been locked up for years…but Sandy might have access to a key…."

"Tell me where it is, and how to get there, now!" Rick ordered, grabbing a piece of paper and signaling Ian to get Ron and Robbie. Once he had directions, he told Peterson to stay put at home and if Sandy called, not to reveal he'd talked to them.

"I won't, Rick. I'm sorry, terribly sorry." The man murmured, then hung up. Just then Ron and Robbie came running up, followed by a breathless Oscar and Rudy.

"Oscar told me what happened, and I think we have a fix on Robin!" Rudy announced. Rick read off the address of Peterson's "castle", and Oscar's face turned red.

"I find it hard to believe he's not involved….but that's where we have her position.."

Instantly Rick and Ian ran to Rick's truck, as Ron put out an APB on Sandy Clark, the real name of Peter Jason's fiancée. Robbie followed with the others and the caravan of cars raced to the outskirts of Phoenix and into the hills overlooking the city. Minutes later Rick was driving up a winding road, then into a small mountain community that featured faded old tourist cabins and attractions. Following Peterson's direction, Rick went up a back road, then pulled onto a street looking down on a faux gray, two-story castle, built with cinderblocks and featuring weathered stained glass windows.

"Rick, you and Ian come down the trail, then hide in the brush. Robbie and I will circle around the front. Stay out of sight of the windows…what the…" Ron halted his commands as a silver foreign car pulled up to the castle. Rick pulled out his weapon, then lowered it in surprise as Clyde Peterson climbed out and ambled up the walk.

"I don't know what he's doing, Rick, but use him as a diversion…hurry!" Ron said.

At once Rick and Ian climbed down the hill, then snuck through the back gate into the yard of the castle. Lowering themselves, they ran around to the back of the house, then heard the woman's voice again. Testing the back door, Rick found it was locked, then froze as she started to yell.

"You're not going to interfere with our plans, Clyde….now get out of here or …"

Raising his transmitter to his mouth, Rick said, "Ron, you and Robbie take her down, now!" Taking his gun, he shot out the lock, then flung open the door. Ahead of him he saw a dark kitchen, then he pulled out a flashlight and shone it around.

"There's a door, maybe that leads to more rooms." Ian whispered. Suddenly they heard a woman's cry, then someone running.

"Come on, son!" Rick urged, heading through a doorway then along a hallway. At once to the right of them the men saw a woman running, then stopping at a door and pulling out a key.

Not waiting for her to open the door, Rick shone his light at her, then ordered, "Freeze, or I'll shoot!"

Startled, the woman hesitated, key in hand, then Rick fired, hitting the wall next to her. Instantly she shrieked, "Don't shoot!" and flung up her hands. Advancing slowly, Rick kept his weapon on her, then snatched the key from her fingers and handed it to Ian.

"Open up and see if that where she's got them. Lady, if they're hurt in any way…" He snarled. Quickly Ian jerked the door open and vanished into the room.

"Ian!" Robin let out a muffled cry, and Rick grabbed the arm of Sandy Clark and forced her against the wall, cuffing her once he put his weapon away.

"Shah, it's all right, I'm here… Daddy's here.." Ian's voice was shaky, then Rick felt dizzy with relief as Robin came out of the room in Ian's arms, trembling but seemingly unhurt. In front of her, Petey and Katie were all smiles as they saw their Grandpa. Bending down, Rick caught them in his arms, hugging them tightly. "Grandpa, Daddy saved us and Mommy from the bad lady!" Katie told him, as Petey echoed, "She made Mom scared, Grandpa…I hope she gets in trouble!"

"Don't worry, guys, she's never going to scare anyone again. Now, did she hurt you, do you feel okay?" Rick examined them, then caught his daughter's eye. "Birdie…"

"Pop!" At once Robin burst into tears, then Rick let his grandchildren go to their father as he picked up Robin and carried her out of the building.

"Shah, it's okay, baby…it's okay. You're safe, honey." He soothed her, taking her straight to where her brother's car was.

Robbie ran to them and opened the cruiser's doors, so Rick could put her down to be checked out. Rudy already had his stethoscope out and climbed in the other side. "Honey, let me check you and the children out."

"I'm all right, Uncle Rudy. Oh, Pop. She was horrible…she called Petey and Katie names and tied us down to the back seat with a belt." Robin wiped her eyes and clung to Oscar as he sat on her other side.

"You did fine, Robin. Just take deep breaths. Look, here's the kids." Oscar lifted them onto his lap so they could "help" Rudy.

Just then Rick heard a screeching of brakes, then A.J. pulled up to them. Before the car was stopped, Laurie flew out of the back seat, then ran to Rick. He caught her as she started asking, "Is Robin all right? Where is she, Rick?..Oh Robin!" she cried, spotting her daughter.

"She's okay, sweetheart. Let Rudy look at her and the children first." Rick steered her over to Robbie's car. There mother and daughter hugged and Petey and Katey had to tell their Grandma about "the bad lady" and how Daddy and Grandpa saved them.

With Ron sending a now subdued Sandy Clark off under arrest and Clyde Petersen for questioning, Rudy declared Robin and the children unharmed. Rick immediately suggested their statements could wait until they got home.

"I think under the circumstances, that will be acceptable." Ron agreed, seeing Ian holding his wife with Petey asleep next to him and Katey playing with Rudy's stethoscope.

"Okay, let's go home." Rick declared, putting an arm around Laurie. She looked up at him, her eyes shining, then kissed him. "Our hero." She whispered.

"No, darlin'…" he replied, holding her tightly while walking up to his truck. "We had lots of heroes tonight….but I'll always be yours…"


	7. Chapter 7

"Daddy, I found another one…I've got six now!" Katie yelled, then her cousin Davie called out, "But I have eight! And a bunny!"

"A bunny?" Ian looked at Robbie, who shrugged. "Pop must have bought extra candy."

"No….a real bunny!" the youngest Simon declared loudly, holding up a white ball of fur.

"Oh boy…where'd that come from?" Robbie started towards his son only for Jack to come scampering out of the house, a similar object in his mouth.

"Jack, stop playing with the bunnies!" Laurie followed him out of the kitchen, then commanded, "Jack, sit!" To Robbie and Ian's amazement, the little dog did just that, and at once Robbie pulled the small baby bunny out of his mouth and dropped it on the grass.

Immediately Katie crowed "The Easter Bunny left his babies!" and picked it up and put it in her basket.

"Oh, no!" Rick turned from the barbeque where he was basting a ham, then started chuckling as Laurie gave Jack a cookie, then shooed him off to his doghouse.

"Sweetheart….where did he find Dad's surprises?" he gasped, as Ian and Robbie sank onto a bench in the patio, overcome with laughter.

"He must have snuck into your office….oh you guys…" Laurie giggled, then beckoned her grandchildren to her. "Katie, Davie, your Uncle Oscar asked the Easter Bunny for some of his bunnies, because he thinks you're old enough to take care of them. Are you?"

"Oh yes, Grandma…I'll take very good care of poor Oscar….I won't let Jacky play with him cause he's too rough!" Katie solemnly assured her, while Davie echoed, "I'll clean up after him and tell Buster not to scare him, I promise!"

"Buster?" Laurie glanced at her son, who finally caught his breath. "I got the kids one of Jack's cousins, Mom." he explained, while Ian sputtered, "Oscar the rabbit?"

"Did I hear my name?" At once Laurie started giggling again, then she greeted her adopted father with a hug. "Dad, thanks again for bringing the bunnies, they're a hit with everyone, including Jack!"

Oscar returned her embrace, then smiled as the children gathered around him with their baskets. "Do I want to know why Jack likes them?"

"Tell you later, Dad." Rick winked, then passed him a cold drink as Petey and Melly and Robin received their bunnies while they counted out their Easter eggs.

Seeing the grin on her son-in-law's face as he watched the kids sharing their candy, Laurie asked Ian, "How are you doing, son?"

"I'm good, Mom….you and Dad were right in making me take a couple of weeks off from the show. It was too soon to go back and this way the new managers see how much work it takes to run things!" he explained, a contented tone in his voice. Rick knew how hard it had been to face the lies told by Clyde Peterson to protect his son…at least Ian had forgiven the older man, and was determined to uphold the standards of the Knights' shows. Somehow, defending his family had instilled a new confidence in his son-in-law.

"I'm glad, Ian." Robbie said, helping Davie open a plastic egg. "This way you'll have a new perspective on the show, after all, you've been with the Knights in one form or another for almost eighteen years."

"Yes, almost as long as we've been married." Ramona added, bringing out a pitcher of lemonade and setting it next to her husband. "It doesn't seem like it's been that long since Dad decided to surprise Mom for their anniversary…"

"And you and I made up…." Robbie finished, putting an arm around his wife.

"That's right, you two have an anniversary coming up next month." Oscar grinned, as Laurie poured him a glass of lemonade. "Eighteen years since she finally said yes and seventeen since we said "I do", " Robbie teased, pulling Ramona down on the bench next to him.

"And thirty seconds until the ham burns, Rick!" A.J. interrupted, pointing at the smoke coming from the barbeque. "About time you showed up, little brother!" Rick ragged, getting up and hugging Linda.

"Can I help it if Ricky and Ceci couldn't say good bye quick enough to their "friends"?" A.J. snickered, drawing a "Dad!" from Rick's namesake.

The merriment continued as the tables were laden with ham and potato salad and green bean casserole, flanked by Linda's fresh rolls, while Robin set out a strawberry sorbet angel food cake for dessert. As Rick helped move things around, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Pop, can you check on Mom….she was in the kitchen one moment and gone the next…I think she's upset about something." Robin told him quietly. Rick shook his head.

"I thought she'd been kind of quiet today….did she tell you she knew you were frightened and in danger last month?" he asked. She nodded.

"Okay, honey, you finish setting up then relax…Rudy will be here with your grandma in a few minutes." Rick assured her, then dropped a kiss on her cheek as he got up.

Going into the house, he heard a quiet sniffing noise, then found Laurie curled up on their bed, Jack in her arms.

"Sweetheart…what's wrong….?" She responded to his comforting voice by sitting up and holding out her arms. "Oh, Rick…"

At once he was holding her, rocking her in his arms as he kissed her hair and whispered "my sweet girl, my angel…it's all right."

After a few moments, Jack yawned and curled up next to them, bringing a wet smile to Laurie's face. "Such a good dog." she said, then raised her face to Rick for a long and lingering kiss. "I'm sorry, darling. It just hit me, all those years I wanted to be rid of my "Gift", it really saved all of us. I guess you have to be careful of what you ask for...now that I don't have it, what if something happens, like with Robin, and we're not in time?"

Rick could have kicked himself for not noticing how this had bothered her. "Then we'll do our best to protect our children and grandchildren. You inherited your visions, sweetheart, you never asked for them. Now that they're fading, you can help Robin learn to deal with them, and how to handle what she sees."

For a moment she leaned against him, then straightened up.

"You're right, love. Thank you for always listening to me." Laurie told him, kissing his cheek, then letting him help her up.

"I always will." Rick promised, putting his lips against hers. As they held each other, the sounds of laughter echoed around the ranch, and A.J. bellowed, "Dinner!"

"Come on, before he eats the good stuff." Rick snickered, pulling Laurie by the hand out of the house and over to the patio.

As the large extended family gathered around the largest picnic table, Cecilia bowed her head as Rick held her hand on one side, and A.J. on the other.

"Dear Lord, thank you for bringing us together one more time, so we can give you an Easter thank you for all you have done."

Hearing his mother's prayer, Rick's eyes teared as he gazed around the gathering at his daughter and son, each with their own "blessings", then at his brother and his family.

"Thank you for your protection, and for the gift that has helped save our loved ones time and again." At once Rick and Laurie gazed at each other, astonished at the very appropriate words Cecilia had spoken.

"We praise the name of the Lord, from whom all good things come…Amen."

Smiling, they echoed "Amen", then a small voice yelled "Jacky, put that egg down!"

Laughing, Rick watched their children run after the mischievous dog.

"Just another Simon Easter" A.J. raised his glass, and Rick clinked his against his brother's.

"I'll drink to that!"

Fin


End file.
